Rope-carrier for conveyers or cableways.



w. A. woon. BOPEOABBIEB FOR GOIWEYBBS 0B OABLEWAYS.

APPLIOA'IIOI FILED JUNE 17, 1907.

I Patented nec.22,190s.

' Zing 385s I Zea/ 422 17 A TTOHNE YS WILLIAM ALEXANDER WOOD, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

ROPE-CARRIER FOR CONVEYERS OR CABLEWAYS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 22, 19.08.

1 Application filed June 17, 1907. Serial No, 379,326.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM ALEXANDER WOOD, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of New York, county and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rope-Carriers for Conveyers or Cableways, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to conveyors or cable-ways used for hoisting and conveying.

The object of this invention is to provide a reduced s eed rope carrier which is simpler and less liable to derangement than any heretofore known or used.

In conveyers and cable-ways of this character it is desirable to support some or all of the flexible ropes employed from the main cable or track-way so as to prevent sagging of the ropes and interruption to the successful operation of the load carrier and so as to permit the raising and lowering of the load or bucket from the load carrier at any and all points between the terminals. Each of a series of rope carriers is automatically movable at a predetermined and characteristic relative'rate so as to maintain the proper space or distance between the successive carriers. To attain this object each carrier is provided with a single propelling element, like a grooved wheel or pulley; this wheel or element preferably engages the under side of the main track or cable and the upper side of the endless haul rope; the track, the wheel and the haul rope are in one and the same vertical plane and the resultant thrust of the haul rope tends to force the single wheel into engagement with the main track. This steadies the rope carrier and prevents wabbling. With a grooved wheel of given diameter the rate of advance movement is onehalf the speed of the haul rope to obtain a decreased speed of movement the sin le wheel is arranged to advance intermittentl This is done in the specific forms represented in the drawings by making the contact periphery of the wheel eccentric, that is, by varying the radial distance between the center of the bearing or axle and the peripheral contact surface and by varying the extent of this reduced periphery the intermittent motion is varied in extent. A single wheel having a true circular periphery traveling on the under side of the track will advance at onehalf the speed of the haul rope and if onehalf the peripheral distance is on a reduced radius so that the propelling efiort is inactive for one-half the interval of movement of the haul rope the speed is again halved or made one-quarter the rate of advance move? ment of the haul rope. The same result may be attained by arranging the axle out of center of a perfectly circular wheel. By centering the axle and varying the extent of peripheral eccentricity other speeds may be attained in substantially the same manner as that described. There is a spring actuated disk, or pair of disks, in position to engage the periphery of the propelling wheel and hold the wheel automatically in position to make contact with the propelling rope. There is also a brake shoe connected with these disks so arranged that the brake be comes effective during the interval that the shortened radial section of the periphery Of the wheel is passing a given point and is re leased during the interval that the true or full radial section is passing the same point.

The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the rope carrier, portions of the wheels being shown in dotted outlines; Fig. 2 is a top plan View, Fig. 3 is an end elevation and Fig. 4 is a modi fication of the propelling wheel.

There is a frame composed of two parallel plates 10, 11, held in fixed relative position y angle pieces 12 and bolts 13; there is a cable or trackway t and a haul rope h. Grooved wheels w, w, on axles 14, fixed in the frame, travel on the cableway t; and pulley g on an axle 15 carries the hoist rope i.

p is the propelling wheel on an axle .r in the slotted bearings y formed in the frame plates 10 and 11. The Wheel 1) rises and falls in the slots y and the effort of the haul rope It tends to press the wheel p against the under surface of the trackway t. It is to be understood that the slots y are limited in their upward extent to check the upward travel of the axle 90, whereby, when the portion of the wheel p of short radius occupies the position between the axle a: and the track t, this ortion of short radius of the wheel 19 wil be prevented from en aging the track t to ropel the carrier. in Fig. 1 the pro e ling wheel p is illustrated with the portion aving long radius between the axle a; and the track t and consequently engages the track t in a manner to cause an intermittent advanced movement of the carrier.

Two grooved wheels 20 on axle bolts 22, fixed in the frame under run the haul rope h and hold it in tractive relation with, respect to the wheel The holes 25 in the plates 10 and 11 provi e for adjusting the position of the wheels 20. The intermittent advance movement of this carrier is provided for as shown in Fig. 1 by shortening and varying the radial distance between the center of the axle a: and the peripheral contact surface of a portion of the wheel p, as shown in Fig. 1, thus rendering the wheel eccentric. Substantially the same result is obtained in the movement, as shown in Fig. 4, by making the wheel 1) a perfect circle and placing the axle a: at one side of the center, thus reducing the radial distance between center and periphery for one-half the peripheral extent. There are two disks, (1, d, journaled on the axle m, in the slotted bearing n in the frame plates 10, 11. These disks are pressed by a spring .9 in a casing 32 into continuous engagement with the periphery 26 of the wheel p, so that the disks (1 rise and fall with the variation in radius or with the eccentricity of the wheel p. On the axle m there is a wooden brake shoe 1) having a grooved contact surface conforming to the curvature of the trackway t; this shoe rises and falls with the disks d and is held in an upright position by means of the bolt 30 assing through the slot or passage 31 in the brake shoe. When the disks d are down the brake engages the track t and stops the progress of the carrier, the periphery of wheel 19 is now out of engagement with the track It; the shorter radial distance is presented to track If and there is no progression. I/Vhen the disks d are up, the brake b is lifted from the track t; the wheel p engages the track t and the carrier progresses. The rope carrier is thus alternately or intermittently advanced and held. If the wheel p is a complete circle on a true center it will advance at one-half the speed of the haul rope 72 as is well known. When the wheel p is made eccentric its intermittent advance occurs for any desired fractional part of a complete revolution, such fractional part being approximately the same part of a half speed progressive movement.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In apparatus of the character described the combination of a rope carrier having a frame, a haul rope, and means for causing the intermittent advance movement of said carrier during. the uniform advance of the haul rope.

2. In a conveyer system the combination of a rope carrier having a suitable frame, a single propelling wheel therefor and provisions for causing the intermittent advance movement of said carrier.

3. Arope carrier for conveyer systems having a driving wheel adapted to engage the trackway and the haul rope and provisions for causing the intermittent advance movement of said wheel.

4. A rope carrier for conveyer systems having a driving wheel adapted to engage the trackway and the haul rope at opposite ends of a diameter during a portion of its rotation only.

5. A rope carrier for conveyer systems having a driving wheel adapted to engage the trackway and the haul rope at opposite ends of a diameter during a portion of its rotation and having provisions to intermit such engagement during the complementary portion of its rotation.

6. In a conveyer system a rope carrier having an eccentric propelling wheel and means for driving said wheel, intermittently to propel said carrier during the continuous rotation of said wheel.

7. In a rope carrier a propelling wheel, a trackway and a haul rope in the same vertical plane combined with means for causing an intermittent engagement between said wheel and said trackway.

8. In a rope carrier a propelling wheel having provisions for intermitting the advance movement of said carrier and means for braking or holding the carrier during the intervals between the intermitted advance movements.

9. In apparatus of the character described, a rope carrier having a propelling wheel having provisions for intermitting the advance movement of said carrier, a brake, and means for applying said brake during the intermitted advance movement.

10. In apparatus of the character described a rope carrier having a propelling wheel in combination with a friction brake and means for rendering the action of said brake intermittent.

11. In apparatus of the character described a rope carrier having a propelling wheel in combination with a friction brake and means for intermittently applying said brake to the trackway.

12. In apparatus of the character described a rope carrier comprising means for imparting thereto an intermittent progressive movement during the continuous movement of the haul rope.

13. In apparatus of the character described a rope carrier having a friction brake and means for intermittently applying said brake to vary the progress of the carrier.

14. In an apparatus of the character described a rope carrier having an eccentric propelling wheel normallyengaging the haul rope and means for intermitting the engagement between said wheel and the trackway.

15. In an apparatus of the character described a rope carrier having an eccentric propelling wheel normally engaging the haul rope in combination with a brake and means for intermittently throwing said brake into and out of action.

16. In an apparatus of the character described the combination of a rope carrier having a progressive movement and means for automatically applying a friction brake during its non-progressive intervals.

17. In apparatus of the character described the combination of a rope carrier having an eccentric pro elling wheel engaging the haul rope and t e trackway, a friction brake in position to engage the trackway, and a wheel or disk connected with said brake and engaging said propelling wheel.

18. In apparatus of the character described the combination of a rope carrier having an eccentric propelling wheel engaging the trackway, a friction brake, a spring forcing said brake into engagement with the trackway, a disk connected to said brake and means for ap lying the eccentric movement of the prope ing wheel to said brake.

19. In apparatus of the character described the combination with an eccentric propelling wheel of means for maintaining said wheel in continuous engagement with the propelling rope. v

20. In apparatus of the character described the combination of a trackway, an eccentric propelling wheel intermittently en gaging the trackway, a propelling rope en gaging said wheel and means for holding said wheel in en agement with the propelling rope during t e interval that it is out of engagement with the trackway.

WILLIAM ALEXANDER WOOD.

Witnesses EDWIN SEGER, 0 JOHN O. GEMPLER. 

